[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/cancer-clinical-trials-2-rcca-oncologists-separate-fact-from-fiction\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/cancer-clinical-trials-2-rcca-oncologists-separate-fact-from-fiction\/","headline":"Cancer Clinical Trials: 2 RCCA Oncologists Separate Fact from Fiction","name":"Cancer Clinical Trials: 2 RCCA Oncologists Separate Fact from Fiction","description":"Iron deficiency and the anemia that can result from it are serious conditions Learn more from Regional Cancer Care Associates\r\n","datePublished":"2025-03-07","dateModified":"2025-12-02","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/author\/seo-user\/#Person","name":"Advance SEO","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/author\/seo-user\/","identifier":7,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25d521bea98e4070937950c92cd06d2b99615947d3d29e3682593c48f0372431?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25d521bea98e4070937950c92cd06d2b99615947d3d29e3682593c48f0372431?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/logo.svg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/logo.svg","width":506,"height":228}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Medical-scientist-looking-through-microscope.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Medical-scientist-looking-through-microscope.jpg","height":506,"width":900},"url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/cancer-clinical-trials-2-rcca-oncologists-separate-fact-from-fiction\/","about":["All Cancers"],"wordCount":1715,"keywords":["News & Events"],"articleBody":"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCancer Clinical Trials: 2 RCCA Oncologists Separate Fact from Fiction\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarch 7, 2025\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year approved 60 therapies for new or expanded use in the treatment of cancer.1\u00a0Those medications vary widely in terms of how they work, the types of cancer they treat, and the circumstances in which they are prescribed, but Iuliana Shapira, MD, explains that they all have one thing in common. \u201cEvery single therapy that we are able to offer our patients today is available only because other patients stepped forward in years past to participate in a clinical trial evaluating that agent,\u201d says Dr. Shapira, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist who serves as Chief Medical Officer of Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA), one of the nation\u2019s largest networks of oncology specialists, serving patients in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Washington, D.C., area.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKimberly Salwitz, MD, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist who practices at RCCA\u2019s Little Silver, NJ,\u00a0office, adds, \u201cRecent data show that approximately 22% of people being treated for cancer participate in some form of clinical research, with about one in three of those people \u2013 or 7.1% — enrolling in trials of cancer therapies.2 As an oncologist, I am deeply appreciative of those people and the role they played in enhancing my ability to offer my patients life-saving or life-extending therapies. Everyone affected by cancer owes a debt of gratitude to trial participants.\u201dDr. Shapira and Dr. Salwitz say that while involvement with clinical studies is increasing, several misperceptions continue to discourage many people with cancer from participating in trials, slowing the pace of treatment advances. In a recent interview, they noted \u2013 and refuted \u2013 five common myths about cancer research.5 Common Myths About Clinical Trials \u2013 DebunkedKimberly Salwitz, a board-certified in hematology, internal medicine, and medical oncology at RCCA\u2019s Little Silver, NJ location.Myth 1: Clinical trials are only for people who have no other options left. Dr. Shapira says, \u201cIt\u2019s true that when people have experienced disease progression on approved therapies or cannot tolerate those therapies, we consider whether they may be candidates for a clinical trial, but that is far from the only circumstance in which we assess whether someone could benefit from enrolling in a study. In many other cases, the question is whether someone who is doing well could do even better by adding a therapy to their treatment regimen or, in some cases, by moving from an approved drug to one that has shown even greater promise in initial trials.\u201d In other studies, she adds, therapies that have been approved for use in an advanced stage of cancer are evaluated to determine their effectiveness in early-stage cancer, which is hardly a \u201clast resort\u201d situation.Myth 2:\u00a0If I participate in a clinical trial, I will have to stop taking my current medications and could be assigned to the placebo arm of the study, meaning that my cancer would go untreated for the length of the trial. Dr. Salwitz explains that people participating in trials of an investigational agent receive that medication \u2013 or placebo \u2013 in addition\u00a0to their other current medications. She continues that when a trial is conducted to compare a newer agent to a current therapy, study participants are assigned to receive one or the other of those agents \u2013 not placebo.The cancer specialist adds, \u201cClinical trials\u00a0are governed by very strict ethical standards and must be approved by review boards charged with guarding patient safety and well-being. We do not have patients who have been receiving treatment come off all their therapies. Further, patients are given detailed information about how the study is designed and will be conducted, so that they can make a truly informed decision about whether to participate. And on an important related note, treatment trials include frequent in-person visits, as well as regular phone outreach by study nurses, to closely monitor patients\u2019 health.\u201dMyth 3: There\u2019s no point in participating in a trial if I have a 50-50 chance of not receiving the drug being studied. Dr. Shapira says, \u201cTo understand the efficacy and safety of an investigational therapy, it is important to compare it to placebo or to a currently approved treatment. As a result, during the main part of a trial, a patient may be assigned at random to receive placebo or other therapy. And, because we want study results to be unbiased by physician and patient perceptions, studies typically are conducted in a \u2018double-blind\u2019 fashion, meaning that neither the doctor nor the study participant knows whether the patient is receiving the study drug or the comparator. However — and this is a big however — Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials typically have an open-label extension period that follows the main study. This means that after the 24 weeks, 48 weeks, or other duration of that main study, patients who received placebo can \u201ccross over\u201d and receive the study drug on an ongoing basis. Studies are designed in this way to give all participants access to the investigational agent and in order to monitor the long-term efficacy and safety of the therapy in a large population. Furthermore, the study drug typically is provided to participants at no cost during this open-label extension, so even if someone is randomized to the placebo arm of the main study, he or she generally can be assured of receiving the treatment eventually, and at no charge.\u201dMyth 4: Clinical trials are only conducted at academic medical centers in cities like New York City, Philadelphia, or Boston.\u00a0Dr. Salwitz says, \u201cThe days of having to travel to a major city to participate in a study \u2013 or to receive cutting-edge therapies, for that matter \u2013 are long past. Over the last 20 years or more, the focus has been on offering both the latest treatments and access to clinical trials in the community, where 80% of cancer care is delivered. Besides being convenient for patients, saving them time andIuliana Shapira, Chief Medical Officer at RCCA and a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist.travel-related stress, this enables people to receive care in a setting where they are well-known to everyone in the practice. RCCA offers patients access to roughly 300 trials across its 26 community-based offices, and people can visit https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/all-clinical-trials\/\u00a0to see which trials are being conducted at which offices.\u201dMyth 5: My participation in a trial won\u2019t really make a difference.\u00a0Dr. Shapira says, \u201cThe adage that there is strength in numbers is particularly apropos for clinical trials, because the larger the study, the more reliable the findings. So, everyone\u00a0can make a difference by signing up to be in a trial. Additionally, for too long, cancer trials did not adequately reflect the full U.S. population. White people and adults aged 60 years and younger were disproportionally represented. Of course, cancer strikes people of all races and ethnicities, and the incidence of cancer increases with age. So, it is essential that people from different backgrounds be included in trials and that people older than age 60 \u2013 who often were excluded in the past due to safety concerns that have since been largely allayed \u2013 be enrolled. A diagnosis of cancer can often make people feel that they have been put in reactive mode \u2013 responding to a threat over which they have limited control. Signing up for a clinical trial is a very powerful way to take a proactive approach toward your health and toward helping other people who one day will find themselves where you are now.\u201d***************Dr. Shapira and Dr Salwitz are among 100+ medical oncologists and hematologists\u00a0who practice with RCCA at 26 locations\u00a0across New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Washington, D.C.,\u00a0area. RCCA\u2019s cancer specialists see more than 30,000 new patients each year and provide care to more than 265,000 established patients, collaborating closely with those patients\u2019 other physicians. RCCA physicians offer patients innovative therapies, including immunotherapies\u00a0and targeted therapy, as well as access to approximately 300\u00a0clinical trials. In addition to serving patients who have solid tumors, blood-based cancers, and benign blood disorders, RCCA care centers also provide\u00a0infusion services to people with a number of non-oncologic conditions\u00a0\u2014 including\u00a0multiple sclerosis,\u00a0Crohn\u2019s disease,\u00a0asthma, iron-deficiency anemia, and\u00a0rheumatoid arthritis\u00a0\u2014 who take intravenously-administered medications.To learn more about RCCA, call 1-844-346-7222\u00a0or contact us.ReferencesAmerican Association for Cancer Research. Cancer Research Catalyst. FDA Approvals in Oncology: October-December 2024. January 3, 2025. Available at https:\/\/www.aacr.org\/blog\/2025\/01\/03\/fda-approvals-in-oncology-october-december-2024\/. Accessed February 11, 2025.Unger JM, Shulman LN, Facktor MA, Nelson H, Fluey ME. National estimates of the participation of patients with cancer in clinical research studies based on Commission on Cancer accreditation data. J Clin Oncol. 2024;42:2139-2148.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twe are here for you\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call 844-346-7222. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the\u00a0RCCA location\u00a0nearest you.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trequest an appointment\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRELATED ARTICLES\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDeciding Where to Receive Cancer Care: RCCA Oncologists Outline Key 5 Considerations\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cMy uncle\u2019s neighbor was diagnosed with the exact same cancer, I think, last year and his specialist has been wonderful. I\u2019m going to get you\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen You Diagnose (or Suspect) Cancer: 3 Reasons to Refer Your Patients to RCCA\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cWhat happens next?\u201d \u201cWhere should I go for treatment?\u201d They are questions physicians often hear after informing a patient that they have identified confirmed or\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2018Blood Work\u2019 and Cancer Detection: 2 RCCA Oncologists Explain What Doctors Look for in Your CBC\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cYou\u2019re going to feel a little pinch.\u201d Each year, tens of millions of Americans hear that phrase, or words to the same effect, just before\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUnderstanding Clinical Trial PhasesPrescription therapies for cancer and other conditions undergo years-long, rigorous evaluation before \u2013 and after \u2013 they secure approval from the FDA. The graphic below details the typical characteristics of the three trial phases that occur prior to FDA approval and the ongoing evaluation that takes place after a therapy is approved for use in a non-rare disease or condition.Source: Adapted from U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Step 3: Clinical Research. Available at https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/patients\/drug-development-process\/step-3-clinical-research. Accessed February 11, 2025.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cancer Clinical Trials: 2 RCCA Oncologists Separate Fact from Fiction","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/cancer-clinical-trials-2-rcca-oncologists-separate-fact-from-fiction\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]